Effects of a Yoga-Based Stress Intervention Program on the Blood Pressure of Young Police Officers: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Objectives:

Despite improvements in health education and treatment, arterial hypertension remains a major health problem of increasing epidemiological importance. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to determine the impact of regular yoga breathing exercises on blood pressure, work-related stress, and the prevalence of arterial hypertension in young police academy trainees with no existing comorbidities.

Design:

A single-center, prospective, randomized controlled trial.

Subjects:

The study included 120 healthy trainees aged between 18 and 39 years who practiced weekly yoga exercises with an emphasis on breathing (prāṇāyāma) over an observation period of 6 months.

Results:

These regular exercises lowered the blood pressure of the participants by 1.34 mmHg (right arm, p = 0.007), increased their regenerative capacity (Recovery Experience Questionnaire [REQ] scale +2.77, p < 0.001) and resilience (Resilience Scale [RS] +4.6, p = 0.001), and concomitantly reduced the level of perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale [PSS] −0.9, p < 0.001). In contrast, blood pressure in the control group had slightly increased over the study period by 0.1 mmHg (right arm, p < 0.001) and 1.0 mmHg (left arm, p = 0.03), and subjective scores had significantly worsened (REQ scale −3.4, p < 0.001; RS −2.29, p = 0.001; PSS +0.88, p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

The results point to a significant correlation between blood pressure and both regenerative capacity and stress level. Thus, the study confirms the hypothesis that yoga exercises reduce perceived stress and exert positive effects on blood pressure.

Clinical Trial Registration Number:

DRKS00025921.